1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image processing and, more particularly, to an image capturing apparatus, method, and storage medium identifying image metadata based on user interest.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image capturing apparatuses, such as digital still cameras, digital video cameras, cameras contained within portable communication terminals (e.g., cell phones), and/or the like, are widely used for a variety of purposes. For example, photographers use cameras for obtaining images in the form of individual or group portraits, scenery, travel, wilderness, sports, and/or the like.
Cameras normally include a view finder and an LCD (liquid crystal display) device. The view finder and the LCD device enable the photographer to view a subject prior to capturing an image of the subject by pressing a shutter release button or the like. The LCD device is normally provided on the rear of the camera and shows a preview of the scene that the camera will capture when the shutter is pressed.
When a photographer looks at the LCD device to view the subject, there may be a number of areas of the scene that are more appealing to the photographer than others. Photographers can do several things to highlight an appealing area of a scene prior to pressing the shutter. For example, the photographer can contrast colors to set an area of interest apart from the surrounding area. The photographer can also place the area of interest in a prominent position on the LCD device. The photographer can also enlarge the area of interest, blur out other aspects outside the area of interest, e.g., in front of or behind the area of interest, and contrast shapes and textures to make the area of interest stand out.
Use of focusing spots in an image provides a simple means to identify areas of interest in a scene, but these spots are placed in a fixed arrangement in a camera system. When framing an image in the view finder, the focusing spots do not often lie exactly on an area of interest. The photographer then must either reframe the scene or accept a suboptimal choice by the camera.
Cameras are currently not provided with a simple technique enabling a photographer to identify an area of interest in a scene. Imaging technology provides the means to analyze photographs of an eye and determine what direction the eye is looking U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/266129 A1, published on Oct. 30, 2008 (hereinafter, the Chiang application), discloses a computing device with a hybrid memory and an eye control unit. The Chiang application describes a computing device that incorporates an eye control system for controlling a mouse-like user interface.
However, eye position may not be an accurate indicator of user interest, since a user's eye may be directed to an object that the user is trying to eliminate from a captured scene. Additionally, photographers may like to render one or more areas of interest in a captured scene differently from the rest of the captured scene, for example by rendering an area of interest using different gamut mapping than is used to render other areas of the captured scene. Thus, a need exists for systems and methods for identifying areas of user interest in a scene, thereby enhancing the quality of user photographs.